Seiichirou

Karen's Relationship With Aoki Seiichirou

Aoki Seiichirou is a wind master and a fellow Dragon of Heaven. Seiichirou is very polite and kindhearted, which makes him a good partner for Karen, who has a similar disposition. His manners and sensibilities make him accommodating rather than formal, so it is not unusual to see him behaving a little silly. A family man, he has a wife and a young daughter who he loves very dearly. In fact, they are the primary reason he wants to protect the Earth. His nephew, Daisuke, was also a part of the End of Days due to his job protecting Princess Hinoto. He died to protect her, which had always been his dearest wish, so before his death, he made Seiichirou promise not to cry when he died. He is also one of the few Dragons to have a typical job—he is an editor at Kadokawa Shoten. His job involves doing fact-finding work for his clients and he actually met Karen before they joined the Dragons while he was doing research on soaplands.

Aoki Seiichirou's relationship with Karen is one of the sweetest in the entire X world. His love for Karen comes from a love for life itself and the belief that all life has value. It is his belief in her that has Karen believing in her own life while conversely making her that much more willing to sacrifice it for his.

Karen has a service job and therefore faces rude people all day. It is rare for a person to come in and treat her like a real lady. That isn't to say that these people are cruel to her. Rather they know that they are paying her and that makes them less likely to be polite.

seiichirou, in contrast, is a true gentleman. He never criticizes Karen for her career nor does he pity her for it. Like Karen, he simply accepts it as her job, even though her comments sometimes make him blush. He doesn't ask her about it, nor does he pry into her past. He seems to understand that she doesn't like to talk about it and anything she wants him to know, she will tell him in her own time.

He clearly has very strong feelings for Karen. Of all the Seals, it is with Karen that he shares the greatest bond, yet he is married and clearly loves his wife and daughter. There is no sense of betrayal on his part yet there is a strong feeling of warmth and compassion for both Karen and his wife. His manner is so kind and guiless that nothing about him seems improper or false.

Karen is in love with him. She blushes when he is close to her and she becomes thoughtful occasionally when they are having a conversation. He is the first person who has shown her genuine kindness, so even his smallest gestures touch Karen's heart deeply. He has also promised to cry for her if she were to die. By promising to fulfill her wish, Aoki becomes Karen's destiny, yet the fact that she can't "have" him makes it a tragic destiny.

I would love to see this couple together, but not at the expense of the characters or of the plot. I don't see any reasonable way to bring them together without them acting out of character or CLAMP using some lousy plot hole. Even if they never end up as a romantic couple, their love and friendship is one of the most touching relationships in X.

CLEAR